The goal of this proposal is to develop a Core Center in Quantitative Biology at Oakland University. To strengthen this Core Center, a new faculty member will be recruited to perform interdisciplinary and translational research. This Core Center will build on existing strengths at Oakland University, including the recently established Engineering Biology undergraduate major, plans for a PhD program in Quantitative Biology, and the new Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine. The focus on Quantitative Biology for the proposed Core Center was selected to take advantage of existing strengths at Oakland University. A nucleus of superb faculty are actively working in mathematical biology, bioengineering, and numerical modeling. Many of the faculty are members of the Center for Biomedical Research, publish extensively, and are externally funded. They represent an outstanding collection of biomedical researchers, often in their early years at OU, which the Core Center will help unify and support. The Core Center will be administered by the Oakland University Center for Biomedical Research (CBR). The current director of the CBR is also the PI for this proposal and is therefore in an ideal position to supervise and administer this effort. A university-wide search committee will be established to select the new faculty member. Highest priority will be given to applicants who can serve as bridges between existing research programs. In addition, applicants are sought who can perform translational research that will strengthen the new medical school. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE (provided by applicant): Science is becoming more and more interdisciplinary, and our proposed Core Center is inherently interdisciplinary. Furthermore, biology is becoming increasingly quantitative, with fields such as "system biology" and "bioinformatics" growing at a rapid rate. This Core Center will catalyze such a change in the very methods used to study biological systems.